North Korea executes Kim Jong-un's 'traitor' uncle

PYONGYANG: North Korea said on Friday that it has executed Kim Jong-un's uncle, calling the leader's former mentor a traitor who tried to seize power and overthrow the state.

The stunning announcement came only days after Jang Song-thaek â€” long considered the country's No. 2 power â€” was removed from all his posts because of a long list of allegations, including corruption, drug use, gambling and womanizing.

In an unusually detailed announcement, the official news agency KCNA said Jang had been tried for "such hideous crime as attempting to overthrow the state by all sorts of intrigues and despicable methods with a wild ambition to grab the supreme power of our party and state".

It called him a "traitor to the nation for all ages" and "worse than a dog".

Kim Jong-un has overseen other high-profile purges since taking after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, two years ago. But none of the purges have been as public â€” or as close to home â€” as the downfall of Jang, who was seen as helping the younger Kim consolidate power.

Analysts have said that Kim Jong-un has acted swiftly and ruthlessly to bolster his own power and show strength, but there has been fear in Seoul that the removal of Jang and his followers could lead to instability or lead to a miscalculation or attack on the South. Jang had been seen by outsiders as the leading supporter of Chinese-style economic reforms.

North Korea has recently turned to attempts at diplomacy with South Korea and the United States. But tensions have remained high since Pyongyang threatened nuclear strikes on Seoul and Washington last spring, and warn that it would restart nuclear bomb fuel production.

There was no immediate word about the fate of Jang's wife, Kim Kyong-hui, the younger sister of Kim Jong-il. She was also seen as a key mentor to Kim Jong-un after her brother's December 2011 death.

The White House said that it could not independently confirm reports of Jang's execution but it has "no reason to doubt" the report from the official Korean Central News Agency that it took place.

Patrick Ventrell, a National Security Council spokesman, said, "If confirmed, this is another example of the extreme brutality of the North Korean regime."

Ventrell said the US was following developments in North Korea closely and consulting with allies and partners in the region.

The KCNA report called Jang a "despicable political careerist and trickster" and "despicable human scum".

It was also unusually specific and chilling in its allegations. For instance, the report said that at one point, Jang didn't rise and applaud his nephew's appointment to a senior position because he "thought that if Kim Jong-un's base and system for leading the army were consolidated, this would lay a stumbling block in the way of grabbing the power".

Jang was described earlier this week by state media as "abusing his power", being "engrossed in irregularities and corruption", and taking drugs and squandering money at casinos while undergoing medical treatment in a foreign country.

North Korean business people are being recalled from China following the execution of top official, Chang Song-thaek, says a South Korean report.

Leader Kim Jong-un may be purging associates of Mr Chang, who was in charge of economic ties with China.

Mr Kim has been pictured by state media for the first time since the execution of Mr Chang, his uncle.

The South Korean government believes Kim Jong-un is trying to consolidate his power through a reign of terror.

The execution of the leader's uncle on Friday raised international concern about the stability of the nuclear-armed state.

North Korea has summoned back business people working out of the north-eastern Chinese cities of Shenyang and Dandong, sources told the South Korean news agency Yonhap.

They are in China to enhance bilateral trade and investment.

Another source told the agency Pyongyang planned to bring all officials and staff home from China in stages.

It appeared to be a crackdown on those perceived as loyal to Mr Chang, Yonhap said.

It could also be another sign that Mr Chang's downfall reflected discomfort at his enthusiasm for Chinese-style economic reform.

There have been other reports over recent days about officials being recalled to North Korea from abroad.

South Korean intelligence officials say two of Mr Chang's closest aides were executed last month, and analysts suggest the purging of such a high-profile figure is unlikely to take place without a "ripple effect" - a purge of others linked to them.

Mr Kim was pictured in photographs released by state media for the first time since the dramatic execution of Mr Chang on Thursday following a military trial.

He was shown touring a military design institute, trailed by military officers, many taking notes. Among them was Mr Kim's personal envoy, Vice-Marshal Choe Ryong-hae.

Beijing has a range of options, but they hinge on Kim III making a mistake or two. If (mistake #1) he remains irredeemably hostile towards China's security interests in Northeast Asia, and (mistake #2) he strengthens one of the three pillars of the North Korea (the party, the state, or the military) to a point where it can run the country in his absence, then China can probably assassinate him. An added plus would be if China could pin the assassination on Japanese right-wing elements angry over North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens.

This is why, of the Chinese officials I've interacted with, most have said they do not want their kids to get wrapped up in Party business - they would much prefer their kids go and be artists or investment bankers or doctors or something 'politically neutral'.

This was not the case in the 80s (which is why you see numerous politically active princelings in this generation), but it definitely is the case now.